Shloka 54
Droṇa-parva Adhyāya 25 — Bhīma’s Disruption of Elephant Formations and Bhagadatta’s Shock Advance
स सैमदत्तेस्त्वरितश्रित्रेष्वसनकेतने । पुनः पताकां सूतं च छत्र॑ं चापातयद् रथात्,तब उन्होंने तुरंत ही शूरिश्रवाके विचित्र धनुष, ध्वजा-पताका, सारथि और छत्रको रथसे काट गिराया
sa saimadattes tvaritaś chitreṣv-asan-ketane | punaḥ patākāṃ sūtaṃ ca chatraṃ cāpātayad rathāt ||
Sañjaya said: Swiftly he struck down from Saimadatti’s chariot—whose bow was variegated and whose banner bore a distinctive emblem—the flag, the charioteer, and the royal parasol, casting them from the car.
संजय उवाच
Educational Q&A
The verse highlights a wartime ethic where victory is pursued through strategic disabling of an opponent’s capacity to fight—by cutting down the charioteer and the emblems of command (flag, parasol). It reflects the harsh logic of kṣatriya warfare: skill and decisiveness can target not only the warrior but also the supports and symbols that sustain his power.
Sañjaya reports that a warrior attacks Saimadatti’s chariot and, with swift strikes, knocks down the banner/flag, the charioteer, and the royal parasol from the chariot—effectively crippling the chariot’s function and diminishing Saimadatti’s battlefield presence.